Oblivious
by JohnnyStyle
Summary: Various residents of Lawndale discuss the use of the word oblivious in regards to Daria and Jane. Rated T for mild adult themes and cushion related violence.


Oblivious

"What's your view on same sex marriages?" Tricia Gupty asked her parents.

"To be honest I haven't really thought about it," her Farther said as he continued cutting up the vegetables that would become snacks for his children.

"Why do you ask honey?" her mother inquired.

"Well…"

"It's because of Daria," her younger brother Tad said as he returned from putting the various skins and other organic waste products from his father's food preparation in the compost heap.

"Daria?" Mr. Gupty asked.

"You remember Quinn Morgandorffer's older sister," Mrs Gupty reminded her husband. "In fact the kids and I ran into her the other day at that art supply store."

"She was buying a birthday present for Jane," Tad explained.

"That's what got me thinking about the recent debate over the changes to marriage laws many states have implemented," Tricia explained as she flashed an annoyed look at her younger sibling.

"So you think Daria and this Jane..?" their mother asked.

"Yes," Tricia said. "But I think they're oblivious to how deep their feeling are towards each other."  
"Hey no fair," Tad said. "I wanted to use tonight's vocabulary word first."

"Now Tad," their dad said. "I don't even think your sister realised she said it."

"I was talking about something important," she said. "Oblivious was the only appropriate word I could use."

"Okay," Tad said deciding it was reasonable.

"What makes you so sure about this?" Mrs Gupty asked.

"Body language," the elder sibling Gupty stated. "When Daria fills in for Quinn sometimes Jane helps her because she has slightly more experience with children."

"Yeah," Tad said. "Daria tells great stories but they're even better when it's both her and Jane telling them."

"So anyway," Tricia continued. "Daria was helping Jane go over some maths or something and they just seemed to inch closer to each other, and started to hold hands with out noticing."

Tad ponders this for a moment while he chewed on the carrot sticks his father had just finished preparing.

"That Tom I met when Daria helped me when I got lost at the parade," Tad said. "He was dating Jane at the time, I thought it was because he reminder her of Daria."

"Really He reminded me more of Jane," Tricia said.

"That explains a lot," Tad said as he nodded as if he had wisdom far beyond his years.

Their mother had been considering her daughters original question all through out the conversation.

"I tell you what how about we include this as a topic of conversation when we discuss current affairs," she said. "That way we can understand both sides of the debate."

"Okay," Tad said. Tricia however seemed to be mulling something over. Eventually she to agreed but made a claim.

"I think I support same sex marriage," she said. "After all Daria and Jane are my friends and if they ever sort out their feelings, well they'll get taxed the same as a normal married couple so they'd be practically married anyway."

Meanwhile not to far away the Landon household was planning another Fourth of July party. Jodie was using the opportunity to bond with her younger sister Rachel now that she actually had the free time to do it. Although admittedly most of that bonding consisted of instructing Rachel to make sure she has time for herself instead of volunteering, or being volunteered for, every single activity at Lawndale high. Jodie sighed as she went over the invite list. She went through the subsection of people she was inviting. Right up the top was Mack, then Brittany and then Jane and Daria. She chuckled. It wasn't right last year. It never looked right when it was just Daria or just Jane. She would have to remind herself to thank all four of those people for keeping her sane. It would after all be her last chance before every one moved away for college.

Rachel looked over the list and crossed out one of her friend's names. Going to visit relatives apparently so the numbers had to be adjusted accordingly for catering.

"Daria and Jane," Rachel began. "They're like, ummm…. Yeah?"

"Uhh?" Jodie said. Even when Brittany was at her most upset she was easier to understand than that.

"They like, like like each other," Rachel said.

"We really need to improve your vocabulary Rach," Jodie said. "Lets start with the word oblivious."

"What's that got to do with it?" the younger Landon said while giving the elder a dirty look. "And before you say anything I do know what oblivious means."

"Well it's exactly what Daria and Jane are in regards to their mutual feelings," Jodie explained.

"So they are … um?" Rachel asked.

"A couple," Jodie said. "You can say it Rachel it's nothing to be embarrassed about."  
"So are they?" Rachel asked again.

"No," Jodie said. " They might have sorted it out after the Tom thing but you see there was this rumour a few months after Daria first moved here."

"What about?" Rachel asked.

"That they were already dating," Jodie explained.

"So why didn't they try it?" Rachel asked exasperated at the line of reasoning that didn't make any sense.

"Because they weren't ready yet," Jodie explained. "They're both more self conscious then people give them credit for and they spent a lot of time quashing the rumour whenever it resurfaced."

"So their denial became like a reflex?" Rachel asked. "So much so even when they ask themselves the question they tell themselves it couldn't happen."

Jodie nodded but amended her sister's theory, "It was High School and Daria and Jane didn't want to be any less normal, just like the rest of us."

"It's kind of sad," Rachel said.

"Don't worry I think they'll sort it out," Jodie said. "After all they're both going to college in Boston, perhaps away from the prying eyes of Lawndale they can sort it out."

"I hope so they're like the perfect couple," Rachel exclaimed. "Who started those rumours anyway Jodie?"

"Brit thought it might help," Jodie said in a tone that suggested it was totally true. "Of course she has been more subtle in trying to match make since that blew up in her face."

"So is the first lady coming over tonight?" Rachel asked moving away from the topic of two girls she thought were her sisters two coolest friends.

"His name is Mack," Jodie yelled with a smile as she threw a sofa cushion at her sister.

Further towards Dega Street a battered van was travelling vaguely in that direction. Trent Lane finally broached a subject he had been thinking about since Jane had graduated High School a few weeks before.

"I'm thinking about getting a real job," he said in a cool laidback tone. This invoked a varied response from the three other members of the band. A "cool" from Jesse, a panicked "but we're criminales" from Max and a "Shut up Max" from Nick.

"Don't get me wrong I love Mystic Spiral," Trent explained. "And I want to keep it going as long as the four of us can, and maybe we will break it big, but I want to be able to support Janey if she ever runs into big trouble in Boston."

It was hard to admit but the money Spiral was making as it was now just wasn't going to cut it, especially if he did get that puppy.

The three other band members pondered for a short time and eventually it was Nick who spoke.

"I understand man you gotta support family," he said placing a hand on Trent's shoulder. It was after all why he put up with Max, even the small amount of money he made playing for Spiral helped enormously as far as the welfare of his kid was concerned.

"Okay," Max conceded. "Just don't write any jingles again, you know unless it's desperate." Max had felt betrayed when he had seen that car dealership ad.

"Cool," Jesse said finally. "Any thoughts on what you would do though?"

"I hadn't thought that far ahead yet," Trent admitted. "I was think of asking Mr. and Mrs. Morgandorffer for advice though, you know Daria's folks."

"She ever came clean to having that crush on you?" Jesse asked. "I mean now she doesn't have that whole thing about being in high school."

"Nah man," Trent replied. "And if she did I would have to let here down gently, there is no way I could betray Janey like that."

"So you mean?" Nick asked.

"Yeah I just wish they would finally realized the feelings mutual," Trent explained. "They're, what's that word Janey uses to describe me when I'm not paying attention?"

"Oblivious," Max said.

"Yeah that's the one," Trent said. "I figured it out when Jane kept trying to push Daria to act on the crush, keep Daria close without admitting to her feelings was the plan I think, even though they're both smart enough to realise that I'm wrong for Daria, even if I did become more conformist."

"So why was Daria attracted to you in the first place?" Max asked.

"I don't know," Trent said as the tank pulled up outside the zon. "Although Mrs. Morgandorffer took me aside once when she noticed Daria's reaction to me, something about stunt car drivers and bad decisions in her youth and she didn't want Daria to contend with that until the second year of college."

"Cool," Jesse interjected as the band got out and began unloading their interments.

"I'm glad Daria didn't ever act on the crush though, " Trent said. "I couldn't stand to see Janey in that much emotional pain. It was bad enough when Tom came between them but if it was me."

"Heavy," Jesse agreed.

"Mmm, You're walking down the wrong lane, it should be obvious, but you don't see my pain, because right now you're oblivious…ummm."

"I think I'll flee to Spain," Nick supplied.

"I'm drowning in the rain," was Max's contribution.

"My soul's waves of grain," Jesse offered.

"No that doesn't sound right," Trent said. "Besides Freaking Friends should be the only love song we play."

To that the band agreed as they went inside to set up.

A few states away from Lawndale two children were walking by the side of the road. Despite the distance a certain house within Lawndale is their actual destination.

"So why are we going to Grandma and Grandpa's house again?" Adrian asked.

"I told you," Courtney replied. "So we can find out were Aunt Jane is going to live when she moves to Boston, that way we can go visit her there."

"Cool we've never been to Boston before," Adrian said. "But there will be a problem."

Courtney sighed as she adjusted her backpack.

"Aunt Daria," they said in unison. They remembered the last time they made it to Lawndale. Daria had ambushed them, contacted Jane and had put them on the flight back to their hometown the very next morning. At least they had eaten something yummy and spicy called kitchen sink stew, slept in the coolest room ever, (padded walls were great) and confirmed their suspicions about Daria being their Aunt through marriage. Oh it wasn't official yet but the signs were there. The love was obvious in the lighthearted bickering, the looks, and the body language. The exponential ability to embarrass the younger generation with stories of very early childhood. Courtney cringed as she remembered Jane proudly recounting horror stories of diaper changing to a crowded airport and the promise Daria had made of the repeat of that very public spectacle if they ran off without permission again. Courtney grinned and just hoped Daria had never seen Summer Lane's signature. Adrian had a sneaking suspicion the deception wouldn't work, Quinn the fascinating girl that was Daria's younger sister had suggested to them both during their last visit that it was best to be honest with Daria as the older girl had a habit of cutting straight to the heart of things.

"I don't know," Adrian said. "She kind of scares me."  
"Well if she catches us first," Courtney began. "We'll surrender to one of the compromises she proposed last time."

"Be roadies for uncle Trent whenever he goes out town on week ends? Go to the school they went to permanently?" he was skeptical.

"We could negotiate staying with them in Boston," Courtney suggested.

"Nah to bogged down," Adrian exclaimed. "I suppose we better hope we don't get caught."

"Don't worry," Courtney reassured her brother. "They'll be total oblivious to us until we surprise them in Boston early spring next year."

"Still that doesn't solve the Aunt Daria problem," Adrian said. "She'll just send us home from there."

"Aunt Jane said she had a weakness that everyone but she uses," Courtney smirked. "It's called bribery."

Adrian stroked his chin and an idea came to him.

"So when do we start stockpiling instant noodles to bring to our poor starving Aunts at college?"


End file.
